This historical romance had a ton of potential but the plot didn't quite do it for me. I love the theme of "smart woman thrives in a time when women were oppressed" and I've heard of Elizabeth Everett's books that are all on that theme, but this is the first one I've read. The covers of her books are always GORGEOUS and this one is no exception. I liked the characters, the setting and the premise quite a bit. The vibes were great but the plot and pacing was lacking a bit for me. There wasn't quite enough happening in the story to keep my interest. The spice level was high, although there was some light bondage that was not really my cup of tea,

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a mixed bag for me. I loved the representation of topics before their time but the religious junk was a slog. I see how it fit in the story, I think, but it made me distrust the author a bit despite her progressive stance. I would really prefer there to be no Christianity mixed with my romance for any reason. Otherwise, this was a 4 star read.

Some things never change. But in the hope that others are open to listening and others will be empathetic in the process of teaching, we might be able to make the changes needed. We find two people who have to get past their own limitations to see that the right person is right in front of them. Lucy has had her formula stolen by her ex fiance and has been profiting off it, but now she finds there is a second one missing. In believing that this is her ex again, she seeks revenge. A woman apothecary is frowned upon in 1865, and she knows that there is little she can do without proof. In the hiring of an investigator under the disguise of a bookkeeper, we meet Thorne. Thorne has decided that he will never love again.
After losing the love of his life and leaving with a daughter, he knows he needs a mother for her but never wants to be in love with her. There is an attraction though that they can not ignore.

This story brings a lot of concerns that were not only part of the society in 1865, but relevant for today. The limitations of what women can and can’t do concerning career and education, the limiting of what women's rights are concerning her own body and what is right and wrong by society's rules. This book does fair warning of rape, and is mentions in respectful way that isn’t too traumatic if one is okay with it.

I need to say I loved the book. It was a slow start, but I loved all the main characters and was invested right away because of it. It was an extremely slow burn. When there, it was so streamy. Once Thorne dropped his limiting walls and realized how they affected his daughter and Lucy saw the strength in herself, they were able to see “Love was the easiest thing in the world”.

I love how the author captures London in the Victorian Era with such authenticity, including a female apothecary who teams up with a private investigator to protect her business. I was draw in from the start, and was captivated by this gorgeous feminist histficrom novel. Highly recommended!

Lucy and Thorne! Wow what chemistry. Lucy is a stand-up character, operating as an apothecary despite society's dislike of women working. We even see protests aimed at her "witchcraft." There are a lot of societal issues at play in this story, from women's health issues to women who want to defy societal norms. Thorne is hired to work undercover to help Lucy find her missing formula. There are quite a few twists and turns in uncovering the culprit. But their attraction was instant and a slow-build. We also have Thorne choosing to be a single father instead of sending his child off to be taken care of by any other, and his traditional values being challenged. The side characters are all full of life and really round out the story, from extended family to shop keepers to a former fiancé. I tend to read Regency over Victorian romance, but this was still quite entertaining. I would read more by this author.

The Love Remedy deals with much heavier subjects than the usual balls and walks in the park. Lucy is an apothecary. She trained with her father and inherited the business on her father's death when she was only eighteen. She's under incredible stress keeping the business afloat while worrying about her brother and sister. She trusts the wrong man and he steals her formula for throat lozenges, taking away her chance at making good money. Now, her formula for helping croup is missing and she's sure he stole this too. She hires Thorne to get it back. Thorne is a single father of a bi-racial nine-year-old girl . There are a lot of issues at play here. Pre-marital sex (for the woman), race, abortion, rape, LGBTQ+, class differences, and a hate group of men - The Guardians of Domesticity from previous books. Thorne is from the upper classes, disowned from his family when he became a gentleman prizefighter, a drunkard, and had an illegitimate daughter with a courtesan. Even so, he has traditional ideas of what makes a woman acceptable for marriage and his former lover and now Lucy doesn't fit his standards. I appreciate Thorne's eventual willingness to re-think his entrenched views but their relationship didn't really click with me. A lot of anger and judgement. Still, a good book and I'll continue reading the series.

Unfortunately this one wasn't for me. The book and writing were fine. I think the pacing was off for me. I wasn't able to connect with the characters, I was left wondering if the characters connected with each other, and found the FMC a bit annoying. However I think many readers out there will love this one if you like grumpy meets sunshine, a Victorian romance, and apothecaries mixed with romance and mystery. There are more 3-5 star feels around here, so I'm definitely an odd ball and maybe I'll give it a go again in the near future. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this eARC in exchange for a honest opinion.

Victorian romances aren’t my cup of tea but the cover was so pretty that it convinced me to try it.

I enjoyed the feminist theme but it also didn’t take itself too seriously. The MMC was a fighter and apparently he was horrendously ugly bc it was mentioned quite a lot in the book. It also mentioned the FMC had crooked teeth and that she was wearing her ugly underwear the first time they hooked up, which I thought was totally relatable. Lol.

The story was also pretty forward for the times. The book was about women in stem but also touched on social classes and race.

There is some spice to the book and yes, that was pretty forward too. Did they have condums during the Victorian era?

Overall, it was a bit slow for my taste but still enjoyable.

The Love Remedy is a fabulous and swoony start to a new romance series.

I absolutely adored Elizabeth's The Secret Scientists of London series, so when I heard that she had a new spin-off series coming out, I knew I needed to read it. The Love Remedy was a lot of fun to read. Elizabeth brought all the elements I loved about her previous series and created this new and exciting story about strong, smart, and capable women. Fans of Elizabeth's writing will be delighted to know that characters from the previous series appear in this book. Elizabeth is a master at creating a lively, exciting, and memorable setting. This story centers around Lucy's family's Apothecary shop, another great location to spend time in. This store is always bustling with a diverse and quirky group of people. It was so interesting to see the various reasons why people visit an Apothecary shop; sometimes, the reasons were hilarious, and other times, it was heartbreaking. Mr. Gentry, who often spends time at the shop, is a secondary character who really stole the spotlight. He would often come into the shop with strange and unusual medical facts or claim that he was ill with another obscured disease. He was charming, sweet, and hilarious. I adored everything about him.

I loved the overall story. Its structure is pretty typical of an Elizabeth Everett book. What I mean by this is that you get a spicy historical romance with strong women who excel in STEM fields, and there is often a mystery element woven throughout the plot. In this book, Lucy hires Throne to find evidence that her former beau and competitor has stolen her formula for curing croup. The mystery component was interesting, and I loved exploring the world of Apothecary. It is a quieter mystery. The element of danger and heart-racing urgency doesn't exist in this story. The only real conflict comes from the Guardians of Domesticity, who think a woman's place is the home. Fans of Elizabeth's writing will recognize this group because they were the source of major conflict in the previous series. They often protest in front of Lucy's shop, threatening to make her pay for practicing Apothecary.

Lucy is a really interesting character. She has this tremendous burden placed upon her and often feels alone in the world. She is responsible for caring for her family's failing shop and ensuring that her sibling can pursue their own interests. I liked her character. It takes time to get to know her because she has so many walls built up around herself. But that comes from feeling a great sense of responsibility for all those around her. Throne is different from your typical male hero. He is broody and gruff, but he is also a single dad. He takes the responsibility of raising his daughter very seriously and is involved in his daughter's life. He walks her to school, reads to her before bed, and just adores everything about her. Throne's backstory is quite interesting and has really shaped who he is as a person. I liked both of these characters together and separately.

The romance between Lucy and Throne is fabulous. I could see the attraction and chemistry between these two right from the beginning. They both have that wonderful ability to befuddle and rock each other's worlds. They really have a hard time figuring out where they stand with each other. That sense of befuddlement is pure catnip for me. I loved the dialogue between these two. It was real and raw at times. There is this lusty dance between them. They both know that nothing should happen between them, but that pull gets harder and harder to ignore. And when things finally erupt between them, it gets really spicy. The sex scenes are very hot. Overall, I enjoyed these two as a couple.

The Love Remedy is a satisfying romance romp that I could not put down.

A fun feminist Victorian STEM mystery that, yes, is trope-y, but it's different from the norm. Lucy, an apothecary (when was the last time you saw one of those in a romance?), hires Jonathan Thorne when someone steals her remedy for the croup. He's the grump to her sunshine and a single dad. The mystery isn't as well developed as it should be but I enjoyed the novel regardless because of the characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

The Love Remedy is a historical romance featuring a woman scientist, Lucy, who runs an apothecary, and Thorn, a man she hires to investigate a theft of her medicinal formulas. I appreciated the feminist themes the author touched on, especially women's health and the right to choose. I liked Lucy's character a lot, but I didn't love Thorn's. I found him to be too judgemental and buttoned-up. I adored Thorn's daughter, Sadie. The romance between Lucy and Thorn was just ok. I wanted more chemistry from them. I recommend The Love Remedy to readers who enjoy historical romance coupled with mystery.

The Love Remedy sounded so promising.. an apothecary seeks the help of a grumpy private investigator to uncover who may have stolen her formula to treat croup. Working side by side to solve the mystery, the main characters break through invisible walls each have built strong their hearts.

The book was fine. The writing was good, I could tell the author is talented in her style and expression. I was expecting more mystery, and unfortunately, the romance overshadowed the mystery. The pacing was a hurdle. As I found it to be so slow, I struggled to continue picking up the book. The main characters lack chemistry. There wasn't an urgency to the plot, and I missed that. There were some important themes and issues tackled within the story, and I appreciate the authors portrayal of ideas. Many of these issues we still struggle with today. I do want to point out that regency romance isn't a normal vibe for me, so my review should be taken with a grain of salt. If I'm honest, I would have dnf'd if not for the fact I was provided with an advanced copy. It wasn't a bad book or poorly written, I just didn't connect to the characters and lacked any interest in the outcome.

What worked?
Strong female main characters
Feminist ideas and gender stereotypes discussion
The cover

What didn't work?
Slow pacing
Flat characters
Mystery was a secondary plot

Who should read? I think those who love the Regency Era romance genre would really enjoy this novel. There's plenty of 4 and 5 star reviews, so I'm obviously in minority.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️ it was okay

Funny, tender, steamy, and smart! While this is linked to the author's previous series, it fully stands alone. Stay tuned through the author's note for the historical context!

The Love Remedy had so much potential for an intriguing mystery and steamy romance. I love a story about a strong female character who is willing to ignore society’s rules about what is "proper" for a woman. Lucy was trained by her father and inherited his apothecary but in London society it is an unheard of occupation for a woman. In spite of how hard she works, Lucy's shop isn’t doing well and when her suitor steals and patents her lozenge formula, she is furious. She hires a private investigator, Jonathon Thorne, to help recover the formula and another missing recipe.

I liked Lucy and Thorne, and Thorne's daughter Sadie was a delight. The focus on women's health and reproductive rights in 19th century England was an interesting story as well. And although Thorne is biased by his aristocratic upbringing, I appreciated his willingness to listen to Lucy and her sister Juliet and adopt less rigid beliefs.

But the story itself seemed choppy and the writing and execution left a bit to be desired. There isn't much depth to the mystery and most of side characters are rather one-dimensional. There are some spicy open door scenes between Lucy and Thorne, however, that many readers will love.

If you have read Everett's series The Secret Scientists of London (which I have not), I gather that a few of the characters show up in this story as well. If you enjoyed that series, this one may resonate more with you.

I appreciate the publisher and Netgalley for the copy I received in exchange for reading and reviewing honestly. I liked the cover and I thought the premise had a lot of promise. I love a story about a strong female character, especially when she is ignoring society’s rules about what she should or should not do. Lucy is an apothecary despite it being pretty much unheard of for a woman. Despite how hard she’s working her business isn’t doing well and when her suitor stole and patented her lozenge formula she is furious. Disillusioned about love and determined to take care of herself she is beyond the moon angry when she realizes her next formula for treating croup has gone missing. She hires Jonathan Thorne a bookkeeper who works for an agency that also dispenses justice to prove her ex Duncan stole the recipe and get it back. Thorne and his daughter have been on their own since her mother died and his parents disinherited him when he refused to foster out his mixed blood daughter. This is a romance/historical fiction/light mystery. I found the mystery to be the most interesting so I was disappointed it was barely mentioned and not fully developed. Jonathan and Lucy didn’t have chemistry and their relationship felt bland for me. I actually thought that all of the characters weren’t as developed as they could be and the only character I liked in the whole book was Sadie (who doesn’t like a young girl obsessed with animal anatomy?).

This historical romance is set in 1843 London, where women’s choices were certainly limited. Lucy and her sister, Juliet, were encouraged by their parents to become apothecaries, an option traditionally reserved for men. Lucy feels the weight of responsibility for keeping their parents’ business going after their death, for both her brother and sister. When a formula for a throat lozenge is stolen from her, Lucy hires Thorne to investigate. Thorne is a unique character, a former boxer and a disinherited nobleman. The chemistry between Lucy and Thorne sizzles. I really appreciate the feminist sensibilities of today imprinted on a story in the past. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett 💚
The Damsels of Discovery, Book 1
Interconnected Standalone

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Adult • Romance
ARC Review
352 pages
🗓️ March 19th

💚 historical romance
🧪 single dad
💚 grumpy x sunshine
🧪 “I shall never fall in love again”
💚 suspenseful romance
🧪 women of science

📍 “How come good things have to be hard? Why can’t being happy be easy?”

If there’s a book to be read now, it’s this one.
If there’s a book of old that is so clearly relevant right now, it’s this one.
And if you want to be terribly entertaining with all kinds of banter and angst and all the good literary things in a romance, this is it too.

Something called me to request this book. A feeling. A sixth sense. Women’s intuition. Whatever it was, I thank the stars for that. This was exactly what I needed, when I needed it.

Lucy, our apothecary owner and woman of science, has been wronged. The outraged! By a young man with sweet lovely lies and apparently no qualms in stealing formulas from his own lover 🤨 The traitor! But she won’t let him get away with it. Oh no! She shall hired the services of Mr. Thorne to prove her former would-be-fiancé is indeed a thief 😠

Only things get complicated. Most isn’t as it seems and maybe… just a little bit… kinda… sort… the need to kiss Mr. Thorne surfaces every time Lucy sees him. But don’t worry, she will never ever give her heart again. And he will never ever fall in love with a beautiful woman again. See, not *that* complicated.

Oh and there are frogs in this one too. 🐸

A great historical fiction romance between a single female apothecary and the single father detective who helps her track down and prove her ex stole the formula to what is sure to be a lucrative tonic. This was well researched, full of strong female characters and perfect for fans of authors like Evie Dunmore. I also really enjoyed the audiobook version narrated by Elizabeth Jasicki. Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley and @prhaudio for a complimentary digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I sometimes have a difficult time with regency books, because there are often outdated ideas about women, sexuality, morals, etc. that if not portrayed well can be tough to get through. Balancing the reality of the time period you're writing in and how we've evolved as a society is difficult and, for me, The Love Remedy didn't always strike the right tone.

There were things I really enjoyed in this story. I liked how dedicated Lucy was to giving women and girls the opportunity to learn about science and math and that she was unwilling to compromise what she wants out of life. I liked the idea of Lucy and Thorne working together to solve the mystery of her stolen formula, but that plot line felt kicked to the sidelines a bit which was disappointing.

There were a few parts that I struggled with. I needed Thorne to grovel 150% more than he actually did. He basically calls Lucy ungodly and that he wouldn't marry her since she's had sex before marriage (even though he was a fully willing participant in the deed) and it was absolute BS. You could tell he was struggling and trying to change his mindset from how he was raised and what society expected, but it wasn't clear enough that he understood how much of a hypocrite he was being.

Also, although this is the start to a new series of interconnected stand-alone's, there were a decent amount of references to people and plot lines from a previous series and it made me feel like I was missing potentially necessary context and it became confusing at times.

Overall, this was sadly not one of my favorites, if you are someone who has read and enjoyed the first series (The Secret Scientists of London) I think you would probably also enjoy this. Thank you to Berkley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this arc.

I’ve been trying to get through this book because I want to leave an honest review for the whole book. I have been in it for almost a week and I can’t get past 20%

I’m just a bit bored with it. It feels so disconnected to me. I don’t feel like I’m getting to know the characters or situation and the writing has a tone that is hard for me to stick with. I keep having to reread parts because it feels monotonous and my brain turns off.

I feel kind of bad for not finishing because I hardly ever dnf, but I don’t think I can enjoy this book. I feel like if I actually finished I’d probably rate it lower, but because I didn’t, I’m rating three stars.